Cyprus foreign minister to visit PH, sign deals on seafarers, sports

Cyprus foreign minister to visit PH, sign deals on seafarers, sports
Dexter Cabalza - October 05, 2026 https://globalnation.inquirer.net/340631/cyprus-foreign-minister-to-visi...

MANILA, Philippines — Cyprus’ Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos will make the first-ever visit by a Cypriot foreign minister to the Philippines on Oct. 7, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday.

During his visit to the country, Manila and Nicosia are expected to sign agreements covering sports cooperation and the recognition of certificates issued to Filipino seafarers.

Kombos will meet with his Philippine counterpart, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, for bilateral talks on “political and economic cooperation, maritime engagements, people-to-people exchanges and consular concerns, as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest,” the DFA said.

The two sides are expected to sign two agreements after the bilateral meeting: the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Sports and the Memorandum of Understanding on the Recognition of Certificates Issued Under the Provisions of the International Convention on the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended.

The Philippines is one of the world’s major sources of seafarers, accounting for nearly one in every five deployed seafarers worldwide.

This makes recognition arrangements important for maintaining access to international maritime employment.

Based on data from the Department of Migrant Workers, there were 589,179 Filipino seafarers in 2025 — the highest number of sea-based overseas Filipino workers recorded since 1984.

Kombos’ visit comes as the Philippines and Cyprus mark more than 45 years of bilateral relations.

Cyprus is also home to more than 8,000 overseas Filipinos, the DFA says.

In 2025, bilateral trade amounted to $4.52 million, with Cyprus being the country’s 113th trading partner (out of 228), 105th export market (out of 212), and 115th import source (out of 215). /dl